Workpiece actuated sewing and handling machine



July 17, 1962 c. F. KEHRER 2 WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- CHA RLES F KEHRER :7 BY

July 17, 1962 c. F. KEHRER 3,044,424

WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CHARLES E KEHRER July 17, 1962 c. F. KEHRER 3,044,424

WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 l ll I 73 I I6 111' INVENTOR. iC HARLES F KEHRER B July 17, 1962 c. F. KEHRER 3,044,424

WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 A /8.9 ICE. 7

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4 ,INVENTOR.

CHARLES F KE'HRER Y July 17, 1962 c. F. KEHRER WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 18, 1959 I HE .INVENNOR.

CHARL 53 F. KEHRER BY C. F. KEHRER July 17, 1962 WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLING MACHINE Fil ed June 18. 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

CHARLES E HEHRER sum 1 0 L l/CLUTCH BRAKE 782350 E FOOT SUV-6 SMN sly-3 3,044,424 WORKPIECE ACTUATED SEWING AND HANDLWG MACHINE Charles F. Kehrer, 10126 Traverse Ave.,-Detroit 13, Mich. Filed June 18, 1959, Ser. No. 821,215 6 Claims. e1. 112-10 My invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to an automatically actuated machine for feedmg, sewing, turning, separating and stacking workpieces such as cloth bags and the like.

In the sewing and handling of workpieces such as cloth bags, the speed with which operations are performed in large measure determine the success or failure of meetmg competition. Heretofore, the skill of the operator was a major factor of costs, and even the most highly skilled operators can not work uniformly at high speed. The need in the industry is still for a reduction of waste motion and a more constant and uniform output.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate variables in the production of sewn workpieces by providing an almost fully automatic machine for feeding, sewing, turning, separating and stacking workpieces.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate waste motion by an operator of such a machine by providing an improved feeding rack operable to position workpieces at the most advantageous location for transferring the sewmg machine by the operator.

A further object of the invention is to simplify sewing of workpieces by providing a mechanism automatically turning workpieces at the proper time for sewing angularly related seams.

Yet another object of the invention is to separate successively fed workpieces by providing a simplified but effective cutting mechanism which, in cooperation with other machine elements, automatically provides uniform lengths of thread leads and tails.

Still another object of the invention is to facilitate conveying of workpieces by providing a means of spreading workpieces for ensuring flat transfer thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to facilitate handling of workpieces by providing an improved stacking mechanism having means for ensuring more uniform and rapid stacking than previously.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same machine,

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the thread cutter embodied in the machine as seen substantially from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an elevational View of the cutter as seen substantially from the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view partially in section of the cutter and the seamer portion of the machine taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the cutter similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating another position of the mechanism.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the machine as seen substantially from the line 77 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a detail view of a mechanism embodied in the machine as seen from the line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a latch mechanism used in the machine as taken substantially on the section line 11-11 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 12-12 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a view of a pulley arrangement as seen substantially from the line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a view of the seamer mechanism. as seen substantially from the line 14-14 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 but illustrating another operative position of the mechanism.

FIG. 16 is a view of the seamer latch actuating mechanism as seen substantially from the line 16-16 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a top view of a loading platform used for the machine.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the platform as seen substantiallyfrom the line 18-18 of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is an elevational view of a handle adapted for use with the platform of FIGS. 17 and 18.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary view of the handle as seen substantially from the line 20-20 of FIG. v19.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of the loading mechanism taken substantially on the line 21-21 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the cutting mechanism.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 23-23 of FIG. 22, and 4 FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 24-24 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 25 is an electrical diagram for illustrating operation of the machine.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary detail of a modification of a component shown in FIG. 7. 7

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine of the present invention comprises several interrelated major components, namely, a loading and feeding assembly 10, a sewing machine and seamer assembly 11, a thread-cutter assembly 12, a turning mechanism 13, a conveyor assembly 14, and a stacking mechanism 15.

The loading and feeding assembly 11% is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 21 as comprising a pair of upright racks 20 carried by angle iron supports 20a mounted preferably on a platform 21 secured to the floor 22. A frame structure 23 carries a shaft 24 in bearings 25 mounted on cross-members 2d, the shaft 24 having a pair of pinions 27 each of which is adjustably engaged with a rack 26. An electric motor 28 is mounted on the frame structure and has a drive shaft 29 which drives a lay shaft 3% by means of a drive chain 31. An intermediate drive chain 32 drives a second lay shaft 33 from the shaft 38, and a third drive chain 34 operates to rotate the pinion shaft 24. The drive from the motor 28 to the shaft 24 is thus geared down to a point where a considerable load carried by the frame 23 will be unable to reverse drive the motor. A pair of guide rollers 35 are carried by a lateral brace 36 and ride on the angle iron 213a to retain the pinions 27 engaged with the racks 211.

The frame structure 23 includes a pair of spaced lifting arms 4%). -A platform structure 41, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, comprises a flat loading member 42 having a caster 43 pivotally mounted at each corner, and is adapted to be selectively raised by the arms 40. A pair of angle members 44- are secured to the underside of the loading member 42 and act as centering and positioning guides when the platform 41 is rolled onto the arms 40 preparatory to raising to position. The

loading member 42 is provided with a pair of sockets 45 on each of three sides for the insertion of the ends 45 of a handle 47 preferably constructed as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. The handle 47 may thus be selectively used to move and maneuver the platform 41.

49 adjacent the sewing'machine and seamer assembly 11.

A'secondswitchSW-Z is provided on one rack 20 and when manually actuated, reverses the motor 28 to lower the frame 23. When the frame 23 reaches its lowermost position, it engages and releases the switch SW-Z.

The other components of the machine are carried by a table structure 55 having a lower table top 56 and an upper table assembly 57 provided with a work surface .58. It'will be seen that the platform 41is located close to the loading edge of the work surface 58.

The sewing machine and seamer assembly 11 comprises a sewing machine 60 mounted on the table structure 55 and shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 6 as having a conventional needle 61 and foot 62, being operated electrically; and a seamer member 63 shown in FIGS. 1 through 7 and 14 as being pivotally mounted by means of an arm 64 on a vertical pivot element 65. The seamer member 63 is selectively moved into alignment with the sewing machine foot 62 and needle 61, as best noted in FIG. 5, against the tension of a spring 66 secured to a bracket 67, and is held there by means of a latch 68 pivoted as at 69 on a lateral axis as best shown in FIGS. 5, Hand 15. V

A trip element 70 is pivotally carried by the seamer 63 and is disposed to engage and be lifted or tripped by the material of a workpiece inserted in the seamer 63. When tripped, the trip element 70 pivots to depress the button of a microswitch S-3, which de-energizes a solenoid S-l mounted beneath the table 55 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. A cam element 71 is actuated by the solenoid S-l, FIG. 14, illustrating the de-energized position.

The present machine is adapted to sew a double seam along one side of a cloth or burlap bag and a single seam along the bottom of the bag, and the seamer 63 is thus utilized only for the double seam. When the trailing edge of the double seam edge disengages from the trip element 70, the microswitch SW-3 is released to energize the solenoid S-l, moving the cam 71 from the position of FIG. 14 to the position of FIG. 15. The latch 68, which retains the seamer in the closed position shown in solid outline in FIG. 5, is connected by a rod 72 with a lever 73 pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis, as at 74, under the table 55 as indicated in FIG. 16. The lever 73 has a slot 74a in which is pivotally mounted a dog 75. When the cam 71 moves to the dotted line position of FIG. 14, it engages the dog 75, lifting the lever 73 to raise the rod 72 and pivot the latch 68 to the position of FIG. 15, releasing the seamer 63.

The spring 66 opens or retracts the seamer 63 to the phantom line position of FIG. 5 against a stop 80, and the seamer arm engages and depresses the button of a microswitch S-4, shown in FIGS. 5 and 14. The microswitch S-4, when engaged, operates to energize a solenoid S-2 which actuates a lever 81 against the tension of a spring 82. The outer end of the lever 81 raises to engage the dog 75 and pivot same laterally to the position shown in FIG. 15 This permits the lever 73 to fall under its own Weight sufiiciently to return the latch 68 to a position in readiness for engaging the seamer arm 64 when same is next manually moved to the position of FIG. 5.

The sewing machine 60 is operated by a motor 83, shown in FIG. 1, which is provided with a clutch and a 4 brake, not shown here but being the same as clearly described in my prior Patent No. 2,874,659, issued February 24, 1959.

The sewing machine clutch is adapted to be engaged when the workpiece, leading edge, emerging from the seamer 63, moves under the pressure foot 62 and de presses a trip element 84, shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, to actuate a microswitch SW-S mounted under the work surface 49. The motor 83 runs continuously, and the microswitch SW-5 acts to electrically engage the clutch in any manner such as is described in the above patent.

When the seamer 63 is opened, or retracted as described above/to the phantom position of FIG. 5, the lever 64 moves away from a microswitch SW+6 which then closes a circuit actuating the sewing machine brake to stop the sewing machine before the trailing edge of the workpiece reaches the sewing needle 61. Also, the same circuit at the moment actuates the pressure foot 62 to raise same from the work surface and free the workpiece so that it may be turned. The same circuit at the same time actuates the workpiece turning mechanism 13. The turning mechanism 13, shown in FIGS; 2 and 7 through 13,- comprises'an operating shaft 85 rotatably carried by and axially slidable in bearings 86 under the table top 56 as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and'13. The shaft 85 has a pulley 87 secured thereto for driving the shaft by means of a belt 88 operably connected to a pulley 89 driven by a lay shaft 90 which is part of the conveyor assembly 14. When the switch SW-6 is actuated by opening of the seamer 63, a solenoid S-3 mounted under the table top 56 is energized to actuate a lever 92 to the dotted line position 92a in FIG. 12. The lever 92., being disposed intermediate guide elements 93 secured to the shaft 85, shifts the shaft 85 to the left, so that bevel gears 94 and 95, respectively mounted on vertical shafts 96 and 97, are engaged respectively by bevel gears 98 and 99 mounted on the'shaft 85, thus rotating the shafts 96 and 97 which'are carried in bearings 100 and 101 mounted under the table top 56. It is noted that the gears 94 and 95 have tooth gaps 94a and 95a so that only a predetermined degree of rotation from any position is attainable. In practice, only one shaft 96 or 97 will be operated at any time, the other being held in such a position that the gap is aligned with the axis of the shaft 85.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 12, the upper table 57 is disposed above the table top 56 and hinged thereto as at 105 to permit it to be raised for inspection, adjustment and maintenance. In FIG. 7, the upper table 57 has been removed for convenience.

A turning arm'106 is secured at its inner end to the shaft 96 as shown in FIG. 7, and is arranged to swing to the dotted line position 1662:, being urged to this latter position by means of a spring 107 and limited by means of a bumper stop 108. When the arm 106 is in such position, the gear 94 is in the position shownin FIG. 12. The arm moves in a slot 109 provided between the upper table 57 and the lower table top 56, as indicated in FIG. 1 as well as FIG. 12. When the gears 94 and 98 are engaged, the arm is retracted or swung in an approximately 90 arc to the solid line position of FIG. 7, the movement being limited by a second bumper stop 110. When, so retracted, the arm 106 is engaged by a latch 111 pivotally mounted on a lateral pin 112 by a bracket 113 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11. In this retracted and latched position, the gear 98 is rotating freely in the gear tooth gap 94a of the gear 94.

When the seamer 63 is manually closed; that is, moved to the seaming position shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 7 and 14, the arm 64 engages a microswitch SW-7 which actuates a solenoid S-4 mounted under the table top 56 to pivot the latch 111 by means of a connecting link 114 against the pressureiof a light spring 115, as shown in FIG. 11, releasing the arm 1% which rotates to the extended dotted line position 1115a of FIG. 7.

The workpiece'adapted to be turned by the arm 196 is relatively large, covering the area of the upper table top 57 and most of the lower table top 56. As the workpiece is sewn, it rides over the extended arm 1% and its leading edge is trapped by an engaging mechanism 120, mounted on the outer end of the arm 1% and shown in FIGS. 2, 7, 9 and 10. The engaging mechanism 1% comprises a pair of spaced guide elements 121 which extend from the end of the arm 1%, are return bent as at 121a, and then diverge as at 12122 shown in FIG. 9. The workpiece is then guided toward the return-bent part and rides under and engages with a disk element 122 loosely rotatably secured by a pin 123 to an arm 124 which in turn is pivotally secured as at 125, on an axis parallel to workpiece movement, to a bracket 125 mounted on one guide element 121. The disk 122 rests at an angle on a plate 127 joining the outer portions of the guide elements 121. The workpiece readily slips under the disk 122, which rotates on a plane parallel with direction of workpiece movement, trapped between the disk 122 and plate 127.

When the seamer 63 is opened as previously described, and the microswitch SW7 actuates the solenoid 8-3 to cause engagement of the gears 98 and 94 to rotate the shaft 96 and its attached arm 1%, movement of the engaging mechanism 129, as shown in FIG. 10,'is in the direction of the arrow 128, such that the workpiece is held and moved with the arm, turning the workpiece to an angle of approximately 90 with respect to the double sewn seam.

Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the shaft 96 is disposed on -a line which extends from the sewing machine 60 substantially normal to the direction of workpiece sewing motion, and the shaft 96 being laterally spaced from the sewing machine 60, the distance of the engaging mechanism 120 from the sewing machine 60 increases as the arm 106 is retracted. The mechanism 120' is mounted on the arm 106 such that, when the arm 1% is retracted, the aforesaid distance is greater than the dimension of the workpiece from the end of the double sewn seam to the edge trapped by the engaging mechanism 12%, and the workpiece-will be pulled toward the sewing machine 60 to readily disengage the trapped end from the engaging mechanism.

It is apparent that for smaller workpieces the engaging mechanism 120 can be mounted on the arm 1116 closer to the shaft 96, within limits. For even smaller workpieces, a second arm 13% can be attached to the upper end of the shaft 97 which extends to a point just short of the surface of the upper table top 57, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 8 and 12. A stub arm 131 is secured to the shaft 97 beneath the upper table top 57 as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 12 and 26 for use in latching the mechanism in a retracted position in a fashion similar to the long arm 1%, by means of a latch 132 actuated by a second solenoid S4-' energized through the same circuit as the first solenoid S4 from the microswitch SW-7. The engaging mechanism 120 as described above can be secured to the outer end or other positions on the arm 13% and operates the same way as described. In FIG. 2, the respective arcs of the two arms 106 and 130 are indicated by dotted lines.

It will be apparent that arms of any desired length, pivotally carried on shafts located at any desired position may be utilized for different turning functions. The degree of turning arc may also be altered as desired for greater or less of an angle between the first and subsequent seams if the workpiece is of a different shape. In the present invention, adapted for use in bag-seaming, the turning of the bag, in combination with automatic regulation of the sewing machine, facilitates the sewing of a right-angle, or extremely small radius, corner seam.

After the workpiece is turned, the operator trips a switch SW-8, indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, or if desired, the stub arm 131 automatically trips a switch SW-8a, as shown in FIG. 26 either of which breaks the circuit of the microswitch SW-6 to release the sewing machine brake, lower the pressure foot 62, and de-energize the gear engaging solenoid S-S of FIG. 12. The shaft 85, still rotating, is moved to the left to its initial position by virtue of the belt 88 which is twisted to a skew position when the shaft 85 is moved to the left as shown by the dotted line position of FIG. 13, the belt 88 naturally tending to return to the straight driving position when the solenoid 8-3 is die-energized. This feature eliminates the need for springs or other return mechanism to disengage the gears. The release of the sewing machine brake permits the sewing machine to resume sewing, and the second seam, at an angle to the first double-seam, is completed. It is apparent to one skilled in the art that, if desired, a single rather than a double first seam can be sewn by altering the manipulation of the workpiece through the seamer 63, and yet the operation of the seamer and turning mechanisms may still be retained.

Thread Cutting Another trip element 140 is disposed closely adjacent the tripelement 84, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 7, and is depressed by the leading edge of the workpiece, simultaneously with the trip element 84 which engages the sewing machine clutch, to operate a microswitch SW-9 mounted under the work surface 49 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Operation of the microswitch SW-9 energizes a solenoid 8-5 which is carried-by a bracket 141 on the work surface 49'. The solenoid S5 is connected by a link 142 to a cutter arm 143 which is pivotally carried by a pin 144 by a bracket 145 mounted on the work surface 49. The solenoid S5 retracts when energized to pivot the cutter arm 143 in a plane normal to workpiece movement to the dotted line position indicated in FIG. 3. A cutting blade 146 secured to the lower end of the arm 143 will thus be retracted from the path of the work piece.

A cutting guide block 147, illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 and in enlarged detail in FIGS. 22 and 23, is mounted on the work surface 49 in the path of the workpiece. A slot 148 is provided in the guide block 147 in a plane common with the plane in which the cutting blade 146 moves. The block 147 is provided with a raised shoulder 149 to provide a V-shaped guiding groove preferably extending normal to the plane of the slot 148 and aligned with the sewing machine needle 61 in the direction of workpiece movement shown in FIG. 5. When the trailing edge of the workpiece rides over the block 147, the trailing thread will run into the V-shaped groove adjacent the shoulder 149. Then, when the workpiece runs oif .of the trip element, the microswitch SW-9 acts to de-energize the solenoid S-S, so that the arm 143 swings downward, partly under its own weight and partly by the force of a spring 151} on the solenoid S5. The blade 146 has a cutting edge 146a which is disposed at a tilted angle with respect to the am 143 and moves into the slot 148 in such a manner that it will first trap the thread in the V-shaped groove against the shoulder 149 and then cut the thread. The blade moves as indicated in FIG. 23 from the dotted line position to the solid line position to perform the trapping and cutting function.

Prior to the cutting of the thread, the trailing edge of the workpiece rides off of the trip element 84 to release the microswitch SW- for de-clutching the sewing machine motor 83, and as noted in the aforesaid prior patent, it will generally be advisable to provide for a degree of overtravel of the sewing machine to get the desired length of lead thread remaining between the cutter and the sewing machine needle for subsequently starting another workpiece. FIG. 6 illustrates the position of a workpiece 155 in which the trailing edge, to which the thread 156 is attached, has released the trip element 84 but has not yet relased the trip ele cut 140, so that the cutter arm 143 with its cutting blade 146 is yet in "the raised position. Direction of workpiece 155 'movement is indicated by the directionalar row. It will be seen that the length of thread tail on the workpiece will be approximately the distance from the blade 146 to the end of the trip element 146, while the length of lead thread available to be sewn on the next workpiece will be approximately the distance from the blade 146 to the needle 61. FIG. illustrates in plan view the relative positions of the needle 61, tripelements 84 and 140, and blade 146-.

Conveying and Stacking Even with the sewing machine stopped, the workpiece will still be urged through the thread cutting operation by means of broad web-type belts 160 carried by rollers 161 rotatably mounted on the upper table 57 and rollers 162 mounted on the lower table 56 as shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8. The belts 160 movecontinuously forward over the top of the upper table 57 and return beneath the upper table 57 as indicated by the directional arrow of FIG. 8. Inasmuch as the upper table 57 is hinged at 105 to the lower table 56, raising the upper table as indicated by the dotted lines of FIG. 8 produces slack in the belts 160 so a secondary roller 163 is rotatably mounted on the lower table 56 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 such that, on lowering the upper table 57 the roller 163 puts tension on the belts 160.

The rollers 162 are secured to a shaft 164 rotatably carried under the surface of the lower table 56 by bearings 165 and driven by a belt .166 operably connected with a shaft 167 as part of the conveyor assembly 14.

A third web-type belt 168 is carried by rollers 169 and 170 rotatably carried under the lower table 56, the roller 170 being secured to shaft 171 connected by a universal joint 172 to the shaft 164 as shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 171 rotatably carried by bearings 1'73. Asshown in FIG. 2,

the belt 168 diverges from the belts '160 such that the workpiece carried thereby will be spread out to lay flat when it is transferred to a plurality of parallel conveyor belts 174 carried at one end by the shaft 167 and at the other lower end by a shaft 175, these shafts being rotatably carried by bearings 176 mounted on a lower extension 56a of the table 56, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The conveyor belt shaft 175 is continuously driven by a belt 180 from a lay shaft 181 which in turn is driven by a belt 182 from a motor 183.

;A plurality of stops 184 are secured to the table 56a as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 24, extending upward intermediate the conveyor belts 174 in the path of a workpiece being conveyed. The stops 184 are aligned in a plane extending normal to the direction of workpiece movement and will act to ensure an alignment of the leading edge of -the workpiece on this plane. At least one actuating element 185 also extends above the belts 174 in the path of the workpiece, close tothe stops 184. The actuating element, when engaged by a workpiece, operatesa switch SW which electrically energizes a solenoid 8-6.

The solenoid 8-6 when energized operates to engage a clutch 186 for rotating a shaft 187 in a manner described in my aforesaid patent from the motor 183 through a belt 188 connected with the shaft 175. A plurality of flyer arms 189 are secured to the shaft 187 and are normally disposed as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 24 below the moving upper parts of the belts 174 to underlie a workpiece conveyed by the belts 174. On engagement of the clutch 186, the flyer arms are rapidly uplifted by rotation of the shaft 187 to raise the workpiece from the belts 174 and swing the workpiece in an arc of about 7 150 as indicated in FIG. 1 to deposit the workpiece on ments 192 and bounces off to return the flyer arms 189 rapidly to their initial positions. A sharp pin element 189a is provided on each llyer arm 189 to engage the workpiece to prevent slippage thereof on arcuate movement of the arms 189, as shovm in FIGS. 2. and '24.

Since the stops 184 act to align the leading edge of each workpiece, each workpiece will thus be deposited with the leading edge disposed approximately on the dotted line 193 of FIG. 2 which is'approximately the same distance from the shaft 187 as the stops 184. The are of motion of the leading edge of each workpiece is indicated by the dotted line 194 of FIG. 1. Thus the workpieces are caused to be neatly stacked on the rack pipes 190.

Summary with a stack of workpieces is moved into position on the arms 40 of the frame 23, and the foot pedal switch SW-l is depressed by the operator to start the motor 28, raising the workpieces as required so the uppermost one is at the level of the work surface 58. When all workpieces have been sewn, the switch SW-Z is moved to the position (b), reversing the motor 28 and lowering the now empty platform 41. When the frame 23 reaches thelowermost position, it trips the switch SW-Z back to position (a). (See FIGS. 1, 2 and 21.)

The seamer 63 is manually closed by the operator, opening the normally closed switch SW-6 to release the sewing machine brake, lower the sewing machine pressure foot, and deenergize the turning arm gear engaging solenoid 8-3. The seamer 63 when closed also closes the normally open switch SW-7 to energize the turning arm latch release solenoid 8-4, or 8-4, permitting the turning arm 106 or 130 to rotate to a position preparatory to intercepting the leading edge of a workpiece (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 12.)

The leading edge of the workpiece is fed into the seamer 63, engaging the trip element 70 to open the switch SW3, deenergizing the seamer lock release solenoid 8-1.. The workpiece, when fed through the seamer 63, is inserted under the sewing machine pressure foot 62 and depresses the trip elements 84 and 140 to close the normally open switches SW-5 and SW-9 (see FIGS. 3,, 4 and 5.)

The switch SW-S operates to engage the sewing machine clutch for sewing the first seam, and the switch SW-9 energizes the solenoid 8-5 which actuates the cutter arm 143 out of the path of the workpiece, the leading edge of which travels forward where it is engaged by the engaging mechanism of the arm 106 or 130. (See FIGS. 7, 9 and 10.) V l When the trailing edge of the workpiece emerges from the seamer, it releases the trip 7 0, closing the switch SW-3 to energize the seamer lock release solenoid S-l, actuating the cam '71 to engage the dog '75 of the releasing arm 73 and release the seamer latch 68. (See FIGS. 4, 14, 1S and 16.) The seamer is thus permitted to open, thereupon closing the switch SW-6 and opening the switch SW7. Closing of the switch SW-6 raises the sewing machine pressure foot 62, energizes the sewing machine brake to stop sewing before the seam runs out from the sewing machine needle, and energizes the turning arm solenoid S-3 to'engage the gears 94 and 98 or 95 and 99, thus rotating, or retracting, the turning arm 106 or to turn the workpiece engaged by the mechanism 120. (See FIGS. 2,7 and 12.)

Opening the switch SW7 de-energizes the turning arm latch solenoid S-4 or 8-4 so that when the turning arm 9. 1% or 130 is fully retracted, the latch 111. or 132 will engage the arm 106 or 138. The workpiece, due to the fact that the engaging mechanism 120 has moved further from the sewing machine in the latched position, disengages from the mechanism 128 and is ready for sewing the next seam at an angle to the first.

When the seamer 63 is retracted, or opened, on disengagement of the seamer latch 68, the norm-ally open switch SW-4 is automatically closed to energize the solenoid S-Z, actuating the lever 81 to disengage the dog 75- from the cam '71, permitting the lever 73 to drop, returning the latch 68 to a position operative to engage the seamer 63 when next it is closed. (See FIGS. 14, 15 and 16.)

The operator to the stub arm 13 1 respectively next trips the normally closed switch SW-8 or SW-Sa, opening the circuit of the switch SW6 which was closed on retraction of the seamer 63. Opening this circuit lowers the sewing machine pressure foot once again, de-energizes the turning arm gear engaging solenoid S-3, and releases the sewing machine brake to start sewing the second seam.

When the workpiece trailing edge finally runs out from under the sewing machine needle 61, the workpiece first releases the trip element 84, opening the switch SW-S to disengage the sewing machine clutch and stop the sewing machine. The trailing edge of the workpiece next releases the trip 140, opening the switch SW-9 to de energize the solenoid 8-5 and permit the cutter blade 146 to be actuated downward and into the guide block slot 148, trapping and cutting the thread. (See FIGS. 3, 4, 5, '6, 22 and 23.)

The workpiece is then conveyed by the conveyor belts 174 to the trip 185 which closes the switch SW-10, energizing the solenoid 8-6 to engage the clutch 186 for actuating the flyers 189 to transfer the workpiece to the rack pipes 190 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 24).

The seamer 63 is then closed once more and the next workpiece fed to the machine. It will be apparent that due to the fact that almost every operation is fully automatic, other than feeding the workpieces into the machine and operating a few of the switches. The machine may thus operate at very high speeds and can be used readily by relatively unskilled operators whose few tasks are performed with extremely little lost motion. Moreover, with almost no manual manipulation of workpieces necessary, uniform quality production is virtually assured at a high rate of output, a factor vitally important in any such highly competitive industry where every small saving must be considered.

Although I have described only one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. An automatic machine for seaming workpieces comprising a support, a seaming machine carried by said support, an arm pivotally carried by said support and positioned in one position to engage with one edge of said workpiece only after said workpiece has been moved over said arm and a seam has been made in said workpiece by said seaming machine, means pivoting said arm to turn said workpiece, whereby seams made before and after turning said workpiece will be angularly disposed relative to each other, said arm including an engaging mechanism operable to engage said workpiece and secure same to said arm only during arcuate movement of said arm, said engaging mechanism comprising a U-shaped member carried by said arm to receive an edge of said workpiece, a finger element pivotally carried by said arm on an axis disposed substantially parallel with the longitudinal axisof said arm, a disk element rotatably carried by said finger element on an axis substantially normal to said longitudinal axis of said arm, and said disk element being operable to roll onto the edge of said workpieces received in said 10 U-shaped member, whereby on arcuate movement of said arm said disk will engage with said workpieces and prevent same from disengaging.

2. In a material working machine, a turning mechanism for laterally turning a piece of substantially flat material, comprising a support, an arm pivotally carried by said support, an engaging mechanism carried by said arm and operable to engage said material, and means pivoting said arm while said material is engaged, said engaging mechanism comprising a finger element pivotally carried by said arm on an axis disposed substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said arm, a disk element rotatably carried by said finger element on an axis substantially normal to said longitudinal axis of said arm, and said disk element being operable to roll onto the edge of said piece of material and to engage therewith to resist side thrust of said material on arcuate movement of said arm.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2 and in which said disk is constructed and arranged to lie in a plane inclined to the plane of arcuate movement of said arm whereby to resist side thrust on movement of said arm in one direction only.

4. An automatic machine for seaming workpieces comprising a support, a seaming machine carried by said support, an arm pivotally carried by said support and positioned in one position to engage with one edge of said workpiece only after said workpiece has been moved over said arm and a seam has been made in said workpiece by said seaming machine, means pivoting said arm to turn said workpiece, whereby seams made before and after turning said workpiece will be angularly disposed relative to each other, said arm pivoting on an axis extending substantially normal to the plane of said workpiece and lying in a plane extending substantially normal to the direction of motion of said workpiece through said seaming machine, said arm when positioned to engage said workpiece extending substantially parallel with said direction of motion of said workpiece and laterally spaced from said seaming machine, said arm being pivoted away from said seaming machine in a substantially degree arc, whereby the distance from the end of said arm to the seaming machine increases on pivoting said arm to cause said workpiece to thereupon automatically disengage from said arm.

5 An automatic machine for seaming workpieces comprising a support, a seaming machine carried by said support, an arm pivotally carried by said support and positioned in .one position to engage with one edge of said workpiece only after said workpiece has been moved over said arm and a seam has been made in said workpiece by said seaming machine, means pivoting said arm to turn said workpiece, whereby seams made before and after turning said workpiece will be angularly disposed relative to each other, a seamer pivotally carried by said support and selectively manually pivoted to an operative position adjacent said seaming machine, means actuated by said seamer on pivoting same to the operative position and operable to automatically actuate said arm to said first mentioned position to engage said workpiece, an actuator carried by said seamer and operatively engaged by the workpiece moving through said seamer, said actuator being operable on disengaging from said workpiece to actuate said seamer pivotally to an inoperative position, and means actuated by said seamer on moving away from said operative position and operable to pivot said arm to turn said workpiece, whereby a subsequent seam made on said workpiece will be made angularly with respect to the prior seam.

6. The automatic machine as defined in claim 5 and having means engaging and latching said arm against pivotal movement after the aforesaid turning operation.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Millhiser'et a1. July 16, 1901 Pancoast Apr. 13, 1909 Wright Apr. 26, 1910 Craig July 10, 1923 Dalton Oct. 16, 1928 Lentz Dec. 10, 1929 Ball Ian. 12, 1960 

